The biggest honour announced is being shortlisted for the highly prestigious award – Overall Council of the Year in Service Delivery. The Council is one of 10 local councils shortlisted as finalists.
The APSE awards recognise the best in local government frontline services across the UK. Award winners will be announced on Thursday 12 September.
The Council is a finalist in the following areas:
- Waste and Recycling – Best Service Team: Waste Management and Recycling Service. Successfully delivering a challenging new approach to waste management. Taking control of fortnightly collections and delivering waste and recycling by bringing it back in-house in just three months
- Public Protection – Best Service Team: Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Regulatory Service. Operations include bringing cowboy builders to justice, tackling the sale of illegal and counterfeit tobacco, and submitting a request to the government to regulate body modification practices following the ‘Dr Evil’ court case.
- WV Living: the council owned housing company – Best Housing, Regeneration or New Build Initiative. Differing from other local authority housing companies, in the way it’s taken difficult derelict sites to make new homes. Almost 400 homes have either been built or are under construction.
- Homelessness multi-agency work – Best Collaborative Working Initiative – Working Together to End Rough Sleeping. This initiative has seen homelessness figures in the city fall by 79% – from 33 in April 2018 to 7 in June 2019 – at a time when most areas are experiencing increases.
City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “I’m extremely proud. This is a great moment for the council, it’s teams, and for residents, as the work and dedication from staff has resulted in fantastic frontline services for local people.
“Being shortlisted for several prestigious awards – particularly Overall Council of the Year in Service Delivery – is amazing.
“All departments shortlisted as finalists are filled with staff who care deeply about what they do and have a real sense of pride in their work. The ultimate prize for the city is great staff, delivering day-in-day-out, for the people of Wolverhampton.”
Speaking about the awards, APSE Chief Executive Paul O’Brien, said: “Local councils do great work but too often they are the unsung heroes of public services. These awards are about celebrating the hard work and achievements of frontline services and the local government workforce delivering them. These services and local initiatives make a real difference to local places and local people. Congratulations to all the finalists.”
The winners of the APSE Service Awards 2019 will be announced at APSE Annual Charity Awards Dinner, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, on Thursday 12 September in Newcastle.
